Coin-controlled phonograph



Feb.2,l92 6. 1,571,793

J. S. MAXFIELD com CONTROLLED PHONOGRAPH Filed Feb. 14, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet i ll-llfll l'llIlllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH n v I N VEN TbR. J/S/Yd sef'zl ld ATTORNEY.

COIN CONTROLLED PHONOGRAPH Filed Feb. 14, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 2, 1 9 26.

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Application filed February 14, 1924. Serial No. 692,817.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known thatI, JAoEY S MAXFIELD, a citizen of the United States. residing at Grand Saline, in the ,countv of'Van Zan'dt and State of Texas, have. invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Phonographs, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. Thisinvention relates to-an improved 001D- controlled phonograph, and one object of the invention is to provide a phonographin which the electrically operated motor for vrotating the turntable has a control switch positioned in its circuit and moved to a circuit-closing positionby actuating means in- .cluding an abutment element only moved into position for engaging the switch when a' proper coin is inserted in the coin ch ite.

Another object of the invention is to so construct this phonograph that after a record has been put in-place upon the tu'rntablea cover must be moved over the turntable In order to permit the switch to be moved to a closed position, movement of the'cover from over the record permitting the switch to move to an open position and thereby preventing the playing of another record until another coin has been inserted in the coin" slot. 7 Another object of the invention .is to so construct this device that unless a com is placed in the coin slot the cover may be moved into an outer position over the record without causing thecircuit control swltch to be closed.-

Another object of the invention is to so construct this switch operating mechanism that the coin will not be released from the coin chute untilthe cover has been moved into position over the record and the abut- I and durable ment moved downwardly to force .the switch to a closed position, thereby causing the 00111 to be positive in its operation.

Another object of the invention is to so construct this machinethat the circuit controlling switch may be mounted upon the.

cash box within the body or housing of the.

machme.

Another object of the invention is to so construct this machine that the parts thereof shall be comparatively few in number, stron and not liable to readily brea or t out of order.

'Fiiis invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein taken along line 33 .is of the push button Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the coin-controlled phonograph with the sliding door open.

Figure 2 is a similar view with the sliding door closed and the switch moved to a circuit closing position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of Figure 2.

- Figure 4 1s a fragmentary sectional view taken at right angles to the view shown in Figure 3 and showing the switch-engaging abutment in an inoperative position.

Flgure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showlng the switch-engaging abutment moved to an inoperative position by a coin.

Figure 6 1s a view taken along line 66 ofITigure5. i I l Flgure 7 is-a view similar to Figure 6 showing the abutment moved downwardly to. engage the switch and the coin of engagement with the abutment.

This nnproved phonograph is provided with a ca inet which is indicated in general by the numeral 1, and may be of any desired slze and may be also modified in its shape and general appearance according to the desires of the manufacturer. This cabinetis provided with a top 2 having an opening "3 formed therein adjacent one end, this openhousing and are preferably secured to the,

side walls of the housing. This cover can, therefore,.be moved into and out of position for 2closing the opening 3 formed in the 0p v p The electrically which is indicated in general by the numeral 7 and will be of a conventional construction, is positioned in the cabinet and supported beneaththe platform 4 in any desired manner. The shaft 8 of the phonograph extends upwardly above the platform 4 and carries the-usual turntable w ch will, of course, be positlonedf above this viously stated, this phonograph is to be elec-' trically operated and it is desired to control the operation of the controlled mechanism to be hereafter described. There has, therefore, been provided a switch 10 which, in the present illustration, type but may be of some other specific construction if desired.

phonograph by coin-' moving out I operated phonograph,

platform. As pro- 10' This switch is cut into the circuit for the electric motor which operates the phonograph. This switch is secured upon the top of the coin box 11 which is mounted in the cabinet as shown so that access may he had to this coin box in order to remove the coins which have dropped into the box.

This switch is to be moved to a closed position after a coin has been put in place and the cover 5 moved to the closed position and, therefore, there has been provided a coin chute 12 which extends downwardly from a point above the platform 4:, through this platform, and has its lower end extended into or close to an opening formed in the coin box to permit the coins which pass through the chute to pass into the coin box. The chute is flat in cross section so that a coin, such as a nickel, or any coin of a proper size, may be placed edgewise in the upper end of the coin chute and will slide downv wardly through this chute. An outlet slot 14 is formed in one edge of the chute near its lower end through which the coins are to pass in passing out of the chute and into the coin box.

An abutment lever 15 is pivotally mounted upon a supporting bracket 16 secured to the coin box and has one end portion onlarged or provided with a weight so that the arm portion 17 of this abutment member which extends through the slot 18 formed in the chute will be normally swung upwardly to an inoperative position. The free end portion of this arm 17 is provlde'd with a side wing 19 which will rest upon the button 20 of the switch when the arm is swung downwardly by a coin passing downwardly through the chute and resting upon this arm. It will be noted that when in this position the coin will be supported by this arm and cannot pass from the chute through the side outletthereof until the abutment arm has been forced downwardly by the actuating means controlled by the sliding door. Therefore, the coin will not be released until the door has been moved to a closed position and the circuit completed to place the driving motor in operation.

The actuating means referred to above is provided with a bar 21 which is pivotally connected with a bracket 22 secured to one end wall of the cabinet and this bar extends between the arms of the guide 23 extending upwardly from the coin box. This guide 23 not only serves to guide the vertical swinging movement of this arm 21 but also serves to limit downward movement so that when swung downwardly with the coin-controlled arm in a raised and inoperative position, this bar may move to a position in close contact with the button of the switch but cannot move downwardly a suflicient distance to move the switch to a closed position. When, however, the coin-controlled arm is swung downwardly into position between the switch button and the bar 21, this bar 21 when swung downwardly will engage the free end portion of the coincontrolled arm and through the. medium of this arm will force the switch button downwardly a sullicient distance to close the switch and place the motor in operation. A link 24 is pivotally connected at its lower end with the free end portion of the bar 21 and is at its upper end pivotally connected with a bar or arm 25 extending inwardly from the inner end of the sliding door 5. Therefore, when this door is moved into and out of a closing position, swinging move ment will be imparted to the bar 21, the bar 21 being moved upwardly when the door is moved to an open position and being moved downwardly when the door is moved to a closed position.

When this phonograph is in use, it will be placed in stores or at other points where people assemble. and a supply of records will be provided and kept in a portion of the cabinet, if so desired, or in any other suitable receptacle. When a customer desires to play a record, the cover 5 will be moved to the open position and a selected record will be placed upon the turntable. After the record has been put in place, a nickel will be inserted in the coin chute and this nickel will pass downwardly through the coin chute and restnpon the upper edge of the abutment bar extending through this chute. The weight of the coin will swing this bar downwardly to position the free end thereof over the switch button but, as previously stated, the weight of the coin will not be sufficient to move the abutmentbar downwardly a suflicient distance to operate the switch and permit the coin to pass out through the outlet opening of the chute. After the coin has been put in place, the cover will he slid to the closed position over the turntable and record and as this cover moves to the closed position the bar 21 will be swung downwardly so that its free end engages the end of the abutment bar and forces the abutment bar downwardly beyond the position to which it has been moved by the weight of the coin. This movement of the abutment bar causes the switch button to be moved to a circuit-closing position and as the abutment bar moves downwardly to a position permitting the circuit to be closed, the coin passes out of the chute and will drop down into the coin box. The record will be played in the usual manner. After the record has been played, it is then necessary to slide the cover to an 0 en 0- sition in order to remove the reco which has been played and it will be readily seen that as the cover moves to the open osition the bar 21 will be swung upwardl thus releasing the abutment arm and permitting I the abutment arm to return to the inoperative position. The'switch will, of course, move to an open position and cannot be again closed until a second coin has been put in place to swing the abutment arm downwardly into position for engagement by the bar 21. Therefore, a second record cannot be played until another coin has been put in place.

A coin-controlled phonograph has, therefore, been provided which cannot be operated more than once when a coin is put in place, and which is further so constructed that there is no danger of the coin dropplng into the cash box before the switch has been operated to start the motor. It will further be noted that the coin controlled abutment means and door operated-switch actuating means are simple in construction and composed of a very few number of parts, all of which are strong and durable and are not liable to readily break or get out of order.

What is claimed is:-

1. In a structure of the character de- .cribed, an electric controlling switch, a.

I member manually movable. toward and from said switch, a coin actuated member adapted to be shifted by the insertion of a coin into operative relation to the switchand in the path of movement of said manually operablemeans to thereby cause the actuation of the switch, upon the engagement of the manually operable means therewith; and means permitting thedisplacement of the coin'from engagement with said. coin actuated member whensaid member has been engaged by said actuating member.

' 2. In a coin controlled structure, the combination with a switch, actuating means movable toward said switch, abutment .means movable into position between said actuating means and the switch, and normally held out of said position, and means for dropping a coin on said abutment means to thereby move the abutment into position between the switch and the actuating means whereby the actuating means when moved toward the switch through the medium of said abutment may move the switch to a closed position.

3. In a coin controlled structure, an electric controlling switch, a manually operable member movable toward and from the switch, a pivoted abutment""movableinto position to engage the'switch but held out of said position, coin actuated means for shifting said abutment intooperative relation. to the switch and into the path of movement of said actuating means to thereby cause the actuation of the switch upon the engagement of the manually operable means therewith, and means permitting member to therebycause the weight of the.

coin to shift the abutment member downward and into operative position with rela tion to the switch, the coin chute being formed with a, laterally ofi'set portion to permit the coin to drop from its engagement with the arm of the abutment when the abutment has been depressed a predetermined distance, and an actuating member movable toward or from the switch and adapted in its movement to engage the extremity of the abutment arm to thereby depress it into engagement with the switch and shift the lat-v ter.

5. In a structure of the character described, a push button switch, vertical guides, a manually shiftable actuating member movable between said guides and movable toward or from the switch but not in contact therewith, an abutment member pivoted adjacent the switch and having one arm thereof weighted and the other arm normally extending upward and out of the path of the actuating member, a coin chute having a slot through which said last named arm passes whereby a coin in the chute may be dlscharged upon sa d arm to cause the member, the coin chute being so formed as to permit the disengagement of the coin from the arm when the actuating member has been shifted downward to cause the abutment member to depress the push button of the switch. normally In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature. i i

JACEY s. MAXFIELD. 

